Thanks for the write up Alex. I remember looking for galaxies one night and thinking maybe everything on my telescope was out of alignment because I couldn't see a thing.
After a while, with good dark adaption and lots of effort I found the Sombrero galaxy as a luminous smudge, but that was sufficient for me and my imagination.
The magnitude of the galaxy really does make the beginner think it should be a matter and point and go but a bit of knowledge goes a long way and helps to understand what you are seeing.
Lots of great and practical information here, much appreciated
